42 OF THE TEETH. 



some appearances which deserve attention. The upper 

 corner nipper is frequently sawed, as it were, into two parts 

 by the action of the lower, which in turn loses its outer 

 edge also in the wear. The whole of them become yellow, 

 are covered with tartar, and stand wide apart from conden- 

 sation and approximation to their roots. 



The cautious veterinarian, when called on to give a 

 professional opinion, must however not form his judgment 

 principally on the appearances afforded by the teeth. 

 Under this view, it is imperatively necessary for him to 

 take into his account all such circumstances as are likely to 

 mislead the judgment : the principal of these are, the 

 irregularities of dentition, and the arts of breeders, dealers, 

 &c. Although, as already observed, the age of all horses 

 is dated from the 1st of May, yet we know that they are 

 occasionally dropped in December even, and we have seen 

 others which were said to be foaled in July. These differ- 

 ences must, of course, influence the dentition much, and an 

 early foal will thus have what is called a forivard mouth. 

 When such a one is either reared by an expert breeder, 

 or falls into the hands of a professed jockey, he takes care 

 to make this circumstance turn to account, by converting 

 these few months of difference into a year. Neither is the 

 time of birth the only means of early or protracted dentition. 

 Warm sheltered situations, with a liberal supply of generous 

 milk, and a pasturage so luxuriant as to allow early 

 browsing in the foal, will hasten the evolution of the teeth, 

 as the absence of these will retard it. In some instances, 

 constitutional anomalies present themselves : the middle 

 and corner nippers have been delayed two, three, and even 

 four months beyond the usual time ; in which, and similar 

 cases, the judgment can only be directed by an inspection of 

 the grinders, which seldom participate in the irregularity. 



The front nippers usually fall at two years old ; and the 

 veterinarian, in examining a colt in July, which had been 

 foaled December or January two years and three or four 

 months ago, and finding that the subject of his examination 

 had already two permanent nippers in front tolerably well 

 up, without examining further, would state the age as rising 

 four, instead of just two and a half; which would be the real 

 age according to all fair rules of reckoning. It is evident, 



